Biological Sciences Lecture on Protists

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from Protistology and the lecture on biological sciences.

Protists

Eukaryotes that are not classified as plants, animals, or fungi; most lineages of eukaryotes are protists.

Archaeplastida

Clade defined by plastids derived from primary endosymbiosis, utilizing chlorophyll a as their main photosynthetic pigment.

Excavata

A clade of unicellular organisms characterized, often by the presence of a feeding groove.

SAR clade

A diverse clade composed of Stramenopiles, Alveolates, and Rhizarians, grouped by DNA data.

Stramenopiles

A group in the SAR clade, characterized by having flagella that are hairy at some stage of their life cycle.

Diatoms

Unicellular stramenopiles found in both freshwater and marine environments, major contributors to photosynthesis.

Brown algae

Multicellular stramenopiles, including large forms like giant kelp, often featuring a holdfast, stipe, and blades.

Dinoflagellates

Unicellular alveolates with two flagella; some are important photosynthetic organisms that can cause algal blooms.

Apicomplexans

Obligate parasites of animals with a specialized apical complex enabling them to penetrate host cells.

Toxoplasma

A parasite from the Apicomplexan group that can alter the behavior of its mammalian hosts.

Ciliates

A group of unicellular organisms characterized by the presence of cilia and two types of nuclei: micronuclei and macronuclei.

Conjugation

A reproductive process in ciliates involving the exchange of micronuclei between two cells.

Amoebozoans

A major clade of Unikonta characterized by amoeboid cells which often have lobe-shaped pseudopods.

Slime molds

Amoebozoans that exist as either plasmodial or cellular forms, capable of undergoing complex life cycles.

Unikonta

A large and diverse clade containing organisms with only one flagellum, including amoebozoans and opisthokonts.

Colonial

A term referring to organisms that live in groups where individual cells can exhibit some cooperative behavior.

Phytoplankton

Microscopic organisms that live in aquatic environments and are important in marine and freshwater ecosystems.

Harmful algal bloom

Rapid increases in the population of algae in water, often resulting in detrimental effects on marine life and water quality.

Chlorophyll a & b

Photosynthetic pigments found in plants and algae; chlorophyll a is essential for photosynthesis.

Life Cycle

The series of stages an organism goes through from birth to reproduction, including haplontic, diplontic forms and alternation of generations.

Sex/Reproduction

In ciliates, these are separate processes where sex involves genetic exchange without forming new individuals.